Ireland to Move Israel Match to Neutral Venue Amid Fears of Unrest

UEFA has approved the Irish football association’s request to move Ireland’s home match against Israel in the Nations League from Dublin’s Aviva Stadium to a neutral site. The game is scheduled for October 4 and will be played behind closed doors because of fears of large protests around the fixture.

The decision followed internal meetings in recent days as pressure mounted in Ireland, politically and publicly, against staging the match in Dublin. Irish reports said Hungary is one of the leading options to host it. Since October 2023, Israel has been forced to play its home matches in Hungary because UEFA has not allowed games in Israel due to the security situation.

In a statement, the Irish association said “operational challenges may affect the holding of the match on Irish soil, therefore the match will be played outside Aviva Stadium.” It added that it “understands and respects the positions expressed by players and staff, fans, association members, activists, members of the public and the Irish football community regarding the match.” British media reported fears of riots and disturbances around the game.

The association also said the Palestinian Football Association had expressed its “appreciation for the principled positions taken by the Irish association in support of the rights of the Palestinian people and Palestinian athletes.” In Ireland, calls to boycott matches against Israel have intensified, with Sinn Fein and the Social Democrats pushing parliamentary motions urging the government not to support the games. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said, “There is no support for our national team playing under the Irish flag against Israel while a genocide is taking place.” The Stop the Game campaign also condemned the move to a neutral venue, calling it a “shameful escape from responsibility” and repeating its message: “Not here, not anywhere. No game.”